So I have written a few times on my frustrations with allergies and asthma in my 4.5 year old DS. I am now suspecting that he also has celiac disease, but wonder if it could all be related. I have read a few articles (some in AL) about how CD manifests itself in unconventional ways in some people. I guess I am looking for more information and others experiences with CD in their children.

I also would like to know if certain CD screening tests are available in Canada. I have done a lot of my own research on CD and likely know more than most doctors. That being said, most of the research I've done comes out of the states (Columbia University Medical Centre) and several articles I've read online.

So here are his symptoms:
Constipation - we fought this last year with accidents. We saw a developmental pediatrician and she put him on a course of laxatives which helped. She strongly suggested he could have CD, but he had been tested a few months earlier with negative results.
Anxiety - hiding, tantrums, bad behaviour anything to avoid new or unliked situations.
Bad behaviour in general - I really thought I was done with the terrible 2s with him, but they are back with a vengance!

This all *seemed* to come up at the same time after the first CD test and all of it was drastically different than his normal, laid back self. He got a brother 6 months before this all started, so it really could be that, but since it recurred I wonder...

Is there a pre-celiac condition? The ped suggested that she's seen similar things happen to children who test negative time after time, but in future (several years later) test positive for CD.

I don't know about the serological test, you might consider emailing Columbia University Medical Centre and asking if they are aware of anyone in Canada who is conducting these tests.
I did find this on Allergic Living's website

Quote:

There is another initial testing option available to Canadians now – one that can be done in your own home. Called the Biocard Celiac Test, it measures the presence in your blood of antibodies that indicate you are having an immune response to gluten. The Canadian Celiac Association calls the Biocard, which costs $50 and is currently up for approval in the U.S., a useful first step in determining if a doctor’s appointment for a full screening is needed. But that’s all it is. Remember to continue eating gluten until a physician has diagnosed celiac disease through an intestinal biopsy. If you stop, the findings could be affected.

I don't know much about celiac, but did look into it briefly as both my kids are really tiny for their ages and celiac sometimes manifests itself like that, with almost no other symptoms. I had read about the biocard and was going to order it, but we got into our pediatrician almost right away, who sent us for blood tests. He said up until a year or two ago, there wasn't an accurate celiac test done from drawn blood, and the only good test involved biopsies, which are obviously much more invasive, but this new blood test is an accurate indicator. I asked him about the biocard, and he said the blood test done in the lab was as good or better than the biocard.

Thanks for the info. I heard about the bio card a couple of years ago when it first came out. I'm not sure I'd be able to hold DS down to get blood! It's been fairly easy to draw blood with professionals so fare. That is interesting about the blood tests from the lab being inaccurate until a year ago... I've heard in general that the celiac blood tests aren't very reliable and that is why they say a biopsy should be done.

I've also seen that the UofCalgary has done research regarding serologic testing and if biopsies are required if the serologic tests come out with certain results. I couldn't decipher the medical speak very well, so I'm not really sure what the outcome was. Anyhow, things are usually different in children anyway.

Maybe this is worth an article in AL?

Always looking for information!
I think I will email Columbia University...

Don't forget to check out our Celiac section on the teal bar, Hiebs. Lots of good, new stuff there.

I do wonder why the pediatrician thought 'celiac' with constipation. Can be a symptom, but much more commonly diarrhea, bloating, that kind of gastro distress. Anecdotally, I hear of constipation more commonly associated with food allergy than celiac.

I don't pretend to be an MD, though! Good luck with figuring it out with the professionals.

have you considered genetic screening? Its a useful tool for ruling OUT cd (ie if you dont have the gene you dont develop the condition).
We have a family history of CD with vague ongoing symtpoms. As you know the only definitive way to diagnose cd is with biopsy. Our intial screening blood tests were inconclusive so we went with genetic screening to see whether it was worth pursuing gastroscope/biopsy (symtpoms were very vague-crankiness, irritability, increased bowel actions etc bit no failure to thrive etc). The genetic testing showed the cd genes were present (which doesnt mean that cd will ever develop) so we then had a scope. This didnt show cd but eosinophilic oesophagitis (allergic inflammation of the oesophagus)-so at least we got some answers-we now have yearly scopes so still have ongoing surveillance and checking for cd.

Gwen, i've heard that it usually manifests as diarrhea, but DH had all the same symptoms as DS does now (even the odd tantrum). We have an appointment with an allergist in January, so I hope that something comes of it (I know he has allergies, I just don't know what they are). It is odd though... I originally though his constipation was diarrhea because he was having accidents so often. And thank you, I will look on the main AL site. An article I read a few months ago actually helped convince me I needed to get him tested again, but I was trying to talk myself out of it.

Caz, I didn't realize they could do a genetic screen. I will definitely ask my doctor about it. It would definitely be one less thing on my mind if I know he wouldn't get it (or any other autoimmune disorder that runs in our family).

Yep-genetic screening is a great tool to cross it off your list of possibilites (not quiet as helpful if you get a positive result as this doesnt equate with always getting the disease-I think from memory only about 30% with the genes get the condition...but like I say good for ruling it out-)
good luck! cd is tricky in that it can manifest in such vague symptoms in kids.

Celiac disease, an inherited condition, is an autoimmune disorder caused by the ingestion of gluten, the complex protein found in wheat, and similar problematic proteins found in rye and barley. Persons predisposed to the disorder have the HLA class II genes DQ2 and or DQ8, although not everyone with these genes will develop celiac disease.

You can read here that studies are finding that babies have the gene passed on to them at birth and their autoimmune disorders .

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